Jesus is the cure for bitterness. This is the healing news of the Gospel! As Jesus made His way to Jerusalem to give His life for us, He encountered some Pharisees and teachers of the Law once more. They saw Jesus as a threat to their power, and many were bitter towards Him. They themselves …
In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the older brother had difficulty embracing grace. He had stayed with his father and worked diligently while the younger son went off. He had been in the field working when his younger brother returned. He had to ask a servant what the party was about and wasn’t happy …
The father provides a joyful restoration for the prodigal son. Luke 15: 22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with …
We see the grace of the father’s pursuit in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The son had asked the father for his inheritance early, while the father was still living. In essence, this request insinuated that the son wished the father were dead. Then, to make matters worse, the son spent the money on …
Recognizing our need is often a turning point in our lives. An addiction or a false perception of ourselves, among other things, can be harmful to both us and others. The Pharisees and religious leaders did not realize their need for a Savior. As they gathered around Jesus, He reached out to them with the …
The emptiness of sinful living is often masked by the lives we project, but inside, we know who we truly are. Jeremiah 17:9The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? [1] As the teachers of the religious law and the Pharisees gathered around …
The parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates a costly independence, showing how the son’s selfish choices affected him and his family. How often in our lives do we make selfish decisions without considering the consequences? For all of us, spiritual immaturity often lies at the root of wanting independence or pursuing things we are not …
The soils of the heart in Jesus’ parable of the Sower (Mark 4:13-20) reveal how receptive people are to God’s Word, which affects our earthly life and eternity. A parable is a story that uses imagery to help Jesus teach spiritual lessons, both past and present. In many ways, the soils reflect our own lives, …
Jesus experiences with us are both fantastic and a great blessing. Not long ago, my wife and I were at a home improvement store where a store clerk was assisting us. During our conversation, the woman indicated she had arthritis in her hands. My wife, prompted by the Holy Spirit, asked if we could pray …
There is something about forgiveness when we fail that enables us to feel the love of Jesus in a new way. Failing can be humbling. We may think that we would never fall into that trap by the enemy, and then, in weakness, we do. On Thursday evening, the day before Jesus was crucified, Peter …